Best Ever Vegan Scones

By Ms. M. MacMillan, Communications Director 

Several weeks ago, while in L.A. for a long weekend, I had the most amazing vegan scones at a restaurant in Venice Beach. Both my friend and I agreed that they were the best scones we had ever had, and she made me promise to try to recreate them when I got home. Since I take all baking challenges seriously, I got to work not long after I had unpacked; four days (and six batches) later, I was finally satisfied. These scones are the perfect amount of sweetness and density--denser than a muffin but lighter than a biscuit. Plus, they're free of refined sugars and common allergens (wheat, gluten, egg, soy, dairy, nuts), and contain an impressive amount of fibre. Enjoy for breakfast, a snack or dessert--cup of tea optional! 

• ¾ cup oat flour

• ¾ cup brown rice flour

• ½ cup ground flaxseed (choose golden flax--not dark--for a lighter taste) 

• 1 Tbs baking powder

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 2/3 cup canned coconut milk (full-fat or light)

• 3 Tbs cold coconut oil or Earth Balance spread (or other nondairy butter substitute)

• ¼ cup agave nectar

• ¾ cup add-ins (dried fruit, seeds, candied ginger, coconut flakes, chocolate or carob chips)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flours, flax, baking powder and cinnamon. Cut in cold oil or spread; stir to coat.

3. Add coconut milk and agave; stir until just combined and then fold in add-ins.

4. Transfer mixture (it will be wet and sticky) to a floured cutting board; dust the mixture with flour to make it easier to handle, if necessary. 

5. Form into a large circle (about 8 inches) and slice into eight wedges. Use a spatula to transfer wedges to baking sheet, 6. spacing at least an inch apart. If desired, sprinkle tops with raw sugar or coconut sugar.

7. Bake 20 minutes or until firm and lightly golden.

8. Once cool, transfer to an airtight container.

• To make oat flour, grind oats in a blender or food processor to a flour consistency. If you have a gluten allergy, use certified gluten-free oats/oat flour.

• Use all oat flour (using all brown rice flour typically results in dry and crumbly baked goods), or substitute other flours for oat and brown rice, e.g., whole wheat pastry, light spelt. (I've made these with all whole wheat pastry flour and they turned out great!)

• Substitute maple syrup, honey or brown rice syrup for agave. If desired, substitute ¼ cup granulated sweetener (e.g., raw sugar, coconut palm sugar) for agave or other liquid sweetener; add ¼ cup milk or water.

• Substitute dairy milk or other nondairy milk substitute (e.g., almond, oat, quinoa) for coconut milk.